Archive

Terry Smith

The interview with Terry Smith took place at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Regional Center in Daybreak. Smith moved to Utah in 1986 to work as a contractor for Kennecott Utah Copper on the Copperton Concentrator Modernization Project (CCMP). The CCMP was a 400-million-dollar expansion investment to install a crusher in the mine. It included a conveyor system that went through a decommissioned railroad tunnel. In 1990, Smith started at Kennecott as an employee working in cost control and cost monitoring. He worked on the Smelter Rehabilitation Project. Smith discusses working with various project managers and engineers at Kennecott and a typical day at work. He worked on a new Kennecott production study of molybdenum oxide concentrate called the Moly Autoclave Process Project, or M.A.P.

Scott Farrell

Scott Farrell worked at the Magna Power Plant starting in the 1970s as a contractor and later, in 2001, worked directly for Kennecott. Mr. Farrell discusses what it was like working with labor unions and hiring for different jobs on the site. He explores what it was like to feel like an outsider, coming from a non-mining background. Mr. Farrell talks about the different working relationships and camaraderie he had with employees during his time at Kennecott. He also traces the trends of production and modernization at the Kennecott power plant.

Guy Markus

Guy Markus has deep roots in mining. His grandfather worked a small claim and raised his family, including Markus’ mother, in Highland Boy. Markus’ grandmother was a widow with fourteen children. The older children worked, and she sold wine to make ends meet. When Guy Markus was born, his father also worked for Kennecott as a shovel operator. Even Markus’ brothers worked in mining. Guy Markus started working for Kennecott in 1977 as a shop sweeper. After working a few different jobs at Kennecott, Markus transferred to be a brake operator (brake man). Markus shares what it was like for the few women that worked at Kennecott and his experiences working there.

Renee and Denny Griffin

This interview took place at the home of Renee and Denny Griffin. Denny and Renee met in high school in Granger, Utah, where Renee grew up. Renee’s family was closely connected to mining. Her brother worked for the mine as a mechanic and her father worked at the refinery and smelter. Denny Griffin started working for Kennecott in 1964 on the track gang. Denny recalled what it was like working for Kennecott, having strikes and shutdowns, and working with different supervisors.

Bryan Johnson

Bryan Johnson’s father was a miner working in the Bingham mines. They lived in the highest house in Bingham. Johnson recalls the traditions of Christmas Eve in Galena and the time it snowed so much that his father made a tunnel to the outhouse. Johnson started working at the Magna Concentrator and talks about the difficult times of being on strike and various shutdowns. He remembers some of the dangers of working at the Concentrator. Johnson shares his experiences with his family and friends in Granger.

Brian Vinton

Bryan Vinton moved to Utah in 1980 to go into exploration work. Exploration is when scientists determine if there are extractable minerals in the ground. Ten years later, he joined Kennecott to work on legacy soils impacted by mining. Vinton worked with the EPA and Kennecott to help identify and clean up contaminated soils. This work brought him to work in hydrogeology. Hydrogeologists study how water systems and the surrounding geology interact. Vinton’s time at Kennecott brought him into contact with many different scientists. They worked together with different agencies to remediate the effects of mining.

Dusty Stauffer

Mr. Stauffer has a long, generational history with Kennecott and mining. He is a third- generation miner and currently works for Rio Tinto Kennecott as a haul truck operator. This interview traces Mr. Stauffer’s history with Kennecott and delves into the series of haul trucks that Kennecott has operated over the years in the Bingham Mine. The interview then explores mysterious and often frightening stories that he has collected over the years from other miners. Ghost stories and cryptids are discussed as well as the haunted Lark Hospital.